Fur-ever young: Meet the “Peter Pan pups”

New research unveils health risks associated with “youthful” dog breeds.

Brought to you by Nationwide

Youth is wasted on the young, as the saying goes. But that’s not the case for some breeds of dog who stay youthful throughout their lives—for better or worse, it turns out. New research has revealed that certain dog breeds retain their playful, puppy-like behaviors well into adulthood and even senior years. However, this enduring playfulness also correlates with a higher likelihood of injuries or health issues.

Discovering the “Peter Pan pups”

Nationwide’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Jules Benson, discovered this trend while analyzing data from over 22 million pet insurance claims for the Nationwide® Pet HealthZone®. The findings indicate that some dog breeds continue to experience conditions typically associated with puppies throughout their lives

For many of these breeds, the results curiously aligned with their personalities, in what Dr. Benson calls the “Peter Pan pups.”

Top 3 breeds most likely to submit a trauma claim as mature adults

Trauma comes in several different forms, including visible injuries (cuts, bruises, bleeding), difficulty walking or trouble moving, swelling or deformity in the affected area, changes in consciousness, pain or discomfort. Falls, collisions, animal encounters and other accidents that impact the body are common sources of trauma

Greyhound (3x more likely than all dog breeds)
Belgian Malinois(1.9x)
Airedale Terrier (1.8x)

Top 3 breeds most likely to submit a foreign body ingestion claim as mature adults

Foreign body ingestion occurs when pets swallow objects that are not meant to be eaten, which can lead to related health conditions such as intestinal blockage, damage to the gastrointestinal tract or abdominal cavity infection.

English Bull Terrier(2.6x more likely than all other dog breeds)
Bernese Mountain Dog(1.9x)
American Bulldog(1.6x)

Cats, on the other hand

Interestingly, cats seem to keep track of their nine lives better as they age. Combing through the numbers, the Nationwide team found that the trend of “eternal youth” behaviors did not extend to cats

While some cat breeds, like the Siberian and Maine Coon, showed higher risks of foreign body ingestion as young adults—2.8 times and 2.1 times greater than other breeds, respectively—no cat breeds exhibited these risks beyond the young adult stage. Breeds such as the British Shorthair, Persian and Sphynx did not rank for any life stage in these categories, suggesting they may be more sensible or risk averse.

Is your pet at an increased risk of a health condition?

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